Interview: The Menzingers – “An Australian Headline Tour Will Happen”

Scranton, Pennsylvania punk rock professionals The Menzingers were recently in the country to continue their love affair with our fair land and play a string of epic dates with one of Melbourne’s most beloved punk quartets, The Smith Street Band. Music Feeds even managed to steal some time from guitarist and vocalist Tom May, who kicked things off by discussing the band’s then-recent gigs in Tasmania.

“We were talking about how we’re definitely going back [to Tasmania]. When we do a headlining tour in Australia, we’ve gotta go back to Tasmania,” Tom told us. Considering the band’s history with Australia, which in the past has included tours with Pennywise and as part of Soundwave festival, it’s unsurprising there’s been chatter of a headline tour amongst bandmates. “We don’t have a date set or anything but it’ll happen in the future. We talk about it,” said Tom.

The band will unveil their highly awaited fourth album, Rented World, next week on Friday, 18th April, and Tom told us a bit about the direction the group decided to take on the record and how the album works as a cohesive unit, saying, “I think that each track on the record speaks for itself, but also fits sonically and thematically together. There’s no over-arcing storyline or concept, but each track has a role.”

“Writing, we write for a couple months before we go to the studio. But once you’re in the studio, your head’s definitely in the game and you’re just there working all day,” Tom explained. “It’s a lot of fun and one of the most rewarding parts about playing in a band is seeing that come to fruition. Seeing songs that you’ve been writing and practicing for months, and then to hear them on tape or on CD or whatever is really gratifying.”